Waste

Tamworth Regional Council manages and operates one of the most advanced Waste Management Facilities in Regional Australia. It comprises a Weighbridge, Recycling Plant, a Small Vehicle Transfer Station for the convenient and safe disposal of waste by residents and a Buy Back Centre. Waste items such as re-usable goods, green waste, bricks, concrete, non-treated timber and metal wastes are diverted through recycling or they are reprocessed for the benefit of the environment.

The Tamworth Waste Management Facility is located on Forest Road near the city of Tamworth. In recent years the facility has become a regional waste management hub, which has resulted in the total amount of waste being received at the facility increasing to about 76,000 tonnes annually. Approximately 50% of this waste material is diverted away from landfill through resource recovery for reuse, recycling and reprocessing. The Tamworth facility is also unique in the region's waste management portfolio as it operates a modern new Small Vehicle Waste Transfer Station. The station was completed in 2008 and allows members of the community to dispose of their rubbish in a much safer and more pleasant environment, away from mud, dust, waste at their feet and the risks presented by large landfill vehicles.

The aptly named Yacannabuybetta Buy Back Centre operates like a shop or store on the second Saturday of the month with stock or items for sale. Except for one small difference - all the goods for sale have been discarded by the community as waste! The items available have been diverted from becoming landfill and the old saying of one persons trash is another persons treasure is true.

There are a range of waste materials that have properties that make them hazardous or potentially harmful to human health or the environment. Some liquid wastes can also be hazardous. Council runs a number of regional programs and participates in national initiatives that are designed to help residents and farmers dispose of some of these hazardous wastes. More information is also available from the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water website.

Tamworth Regional Council operates twelve waste management facilities across the region, which are designed for the disposal of general solid waste material, commonly known as garbage. The facilities vary significantly in size and the way that they operate. The operational capacity of each facility is designed to meet the needs of the local community. Some of these facilities operate as landfills where waste is buried on site. Others operate as small vehicle waste transfer stations, where waste material is placed in large bins and the collected waste is transported to the Tamworth Waste Management Facility for disposal. Check Locations and Operating Hours for more information about the individual sites and the waste materials they accept.

There are two ways that residents and visitors to the Tamworth region can recycle everyday household containers and packaging. The first is the kerbside collection service provided by Council. Every property in the Tamworth region that has a kerbside garbage collection service also has access to kerbside recycling collection. The second recycling opportunity is for those people who do not have access to a kerbside recycling service or for items that will not fit in the recycling wheelie bins at Challenge Recycling. The majority of Council's waste management facilities have skip bins for the deposit of recyclable items. Recycling household containers and packaging is a great way to start, but there are also opportunities to extend recycling to other items around the home or business such as mobile phones and printer, fax and photocopier ink and toner cartridges.

Tamworth Regional Council has a Waste Sustainability Officer to help form partnerships with community groups, businesses and schools to improve waste management practices. The Waste Sustainability Officer can provide waste management advice, assist with campaign promotion and provide educational materials.

Illegal dumping is estimated to cost NSW councils about $10 million a year in removal and clean up of illegal dump sites. The costs to the community can be far greater in environmental and social terms. Illegal dumping contributes to the degradation of land and runoff can contaminate soil and water sources. Dump sites can present a health risk and reduce the recreational use of public land.